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Wednesday, December 14, 2011

I'm a big fan of Chex Mix snacks, both savory and sweet, especially this time of year. Recently, I received a wonderful prize pack provided by Chex through MyBlogSpark. I set out to create a new Chex Mix recipe and I chose a take on a favorite Southern treat, Moon Pies in banana flavor. I had so much fun shopping at the grocery store for my ingredients. Marshmallow... graham cracker... and banana goodness in a Chex Mix. I paired this recipe with Rice Chex cereal.

It made the perfect snack, as well as the perfect excuse to host a party with loved ones. I boxed the mix up and served it to guests in holiday red boxes.

Take a look at what the guests found inside the box:

"Half Moon Chex Mix"

8 cups Rice Chex cereal

1 jar (7 oz.) marshmallow creme

4 graham cracker squares, crushed

1/2 cup white chocolate chips

1 teaspoon banana extract

1 drop yellow food coloring

In large microwaveable bowl, place cereal. Set aside. In medium microwavable bowl, microwave marshmallow creme uncovered on High about 1 minute, stirring after 30 seconds, until creme is melted and can be stirred smooth. Add graham crackers and stir until well-blended. Stir; pour over cereal, stirring until evenly coated. Microwave uncovered on High 3 minutes, stirring after every minute. Pour mixture on wax paper-covered cookie sheet to cool. In small microwavable bowl, microwave white chocolate chips uncovered on High about 1 minute or until white chocolate can be stirred smooth. Add banana extract. Add 1 drop of yellow food color. Stir until well-blended. Drizzle over cereal mixture. Refrigerate until set. Enjoy! Store any remaining mixture in airtight container.

Chex Mix can make the perfect snack for yourself, your family or party. You can go to the Chex Mix website here to find a multitude of recipes, both savory and sweet, with endless flavor possibilities for making special memories.

FTC Disclaimer: The product, prize pack, information, and giveaway have all been provided by Chex through MyBlogSpark.

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

It is the time of year for holiday cards and pictures! In recent years, more and more people are choosing to incorporate their holiday pictures into their cards they send to friends and loved ones. I remember the joy and excitement as a little girl of getting ready for my Christmas portraits each year.

Here is The Southern Fried Bride in my Christmas 1978 portrait:

I've never outgrown the excitement of holiday picture time. Here I am with The Southern Fried Husband as we look forward to Our First Christmas as Mr. and Mrs.

One of my favorite photo greeting card companies is Tiny Prints. According to their website, the company was started by three friends with big dreams and a passion for beautiful paper and began with birth announcements, photo books and baby shower invitations. It has has grown from a tiny, self-funded company specializing in unique baby stationery into a booming online retailer of stylish designs for every occasion. One of those occasions is exemplified in their Holiday 2011 card line. When I first saw this collection, I was taken with countless designs.

This is one of my favorites. The "Wizard of Oz" fan in me was instantly drawn to the Joyful Heart design that uses such unique rainbow detail, plus it conveys the message of Joy, which I believe is what this season is all about!

This one is another favorite design, perfect for a newlywed couple!

I asbolutely love it that they offer a service where they will address, stamp and mail your cards for you! Today is the last day to receive their discount on your holiday card order with free standard shipping and 15% off an order of $49 or more and 20% off an order of $149 or more with code "decfs20". Ends tonight at 11:59 pm PST.

Here is how we are displaying our holiday cards that we are already receiving in our home.

Our holiday card holder proclaims "Joy, Peace and Love", which is what we wish to everyone this holiday season!

FTC Disclaimer: Tiny Prints is providing me with 50 holiday cards in exchange for writing this blog post about their 2011 holiday card collection. The opinions expressed in this blog post are my own. I was in no way financially compensated by Tiny Prints.

Browning's Country Ham had its beginnings in the Browning Family's smokehouse on their farm in Kentucky. In 1970, enough hams were being cured in their smokehouse for their neighbors who requested them to serve in their homes. The hams soon found their way to a family member's restaurant, and community members began requesting being able to buy one to serve to their own family at home. This year, they debuted a new website. Word of mouth about their wonderful hams began spreading and soon customers from other parts of Kentucky began requesting the hams. The company has continued to grow through the decades and they ship nationwide.They not only offer ham, they also offer bacon, cheese and country biscuits.

This year, they debuted a website that features their products that can be shipped directly to your home. Recently, I received a wonderful shipment of their products to review. The first Browning's Country Ham product The Southern Fried Husband and I tried is the Country Cured Ham, cured in brown sugar.

With so many commercially-produced hams available today, so many of their flavors tend to have a flat taste. We loved the flavor of this ham because you can taste the care and preparation that goes into creating the wonderful cured ham flavor, as if we had made the trip to Kentucky and brought it home straight from the smokehouse. We enjoyed a dinner of Browning's Country Cured Ham, and then I used the leftover ham to create this:

Are you wondering what to do to change up your ham on the holiday dinner table this season or a great way to make use of your leftover ham? I made an easy quiche recipe that makes use of several traditional holiday dinner leftovers such as ham, scalloped potatoes and an extra pie crust left behind after all that holiday baking. Any kind of leftover potatoes will do good for this recipe. I used leftover scalloped potatoes in this one. This recipe can be eaten immediately and does not have to be refrigerated overnight. It is great for breakfast, brunch and also for a fun spin on lunch or dinner. It tastes great straight from the oven to the dinner table. I was impressed that leftover Browning's Country Cured Ham was just as wonderful as when it is served as fresh ham and held it's original flavor so well.

"Southern Fried Bride's Easy Holiday Quiche"

1 unbaked 9-inch pie crust

4 eggs

1 egg white

1 cup Browning's Country Cured Ham, cooked and chopped

1 cup potatoes, chopped

1/2 cup shredded cheese

1/2 teaspoon parsley

1/2 teaspoon paprika

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bake pie crust according to package directions. Line rim of crust with aluminum foil to avoid burnt crust edges. Remove baked pie crust from oven and place on cooling rack. In large bowl, whisk eggs until well beaten. Stir in ham, potatoes and cheese. Mix well. Add parsley and paprika. Stir until well-combined. Pour into prepared pie crust. Bake 40-45 minutes or until quiche is golden brown. Enjoy!

If you would like to know more about Browning's Country Ham, you can visit their website here or visit their Facebook page here.

FTC Disclaimer: Browning's Country Ham provided me with a package of their Country Cured Ham for the purpose of my honest review. The opinions expressed in this blog post are my own. I was in no way financially compensated by Browning's Country Ham for this review.

Saturday, December 3, 2011

My divine fellow blogger Kerry of Monograms and Martinis shared about a Thanksgiving recipe contest Cape Madras was having on their Facebook page. I had never entered one of my recipes in a "most votes wins" contest like this before, but I have been encouraged and inspired by so many wonderful new friends since I began this blog and most recently my Facebook page, so for the first time, I entered one of my recipes in a "most votes wins" contest. This newlywed far from home in a new place relied on my pumpkin cake recipe I created back home in my Oklahoma kitchen with my baking mentor, my late maternal grandmother sitting in her rocking chair watching me because I had met a wonderful man who liked pumpkin desserts and I wanted to create a dessert to wow him that Thanksgiving because I was going to take him a plate to the hospital because he was working on Thanksgiving. I don't say "I" won, I say that my cake and I, "we" won.

Voting closed on Thanksgiving night and the winner was announced. Thanksgiving night when Cape Madras announced that I was the winner, was a time of glorious excitement for me! The Southern Fried Husband is so proud of me! For the first time, I felt my late Grandma Cleva and my late Mother's presence right there in the room with me SO close, as if I could almost reach out and touch them. For the first time ever, I have won a "most votes" contest and I am incredibly thankful and grateful for every single person who voted for me and my cake to get "us" there.

Here is the winning recipe, one of my favorite cakes to bake this time of year:

“The Southern Fried Bride's Pumpkin Delight Cake”

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup brown sugar

3 teaspoons baking powder

1 package (4-serving size) Jell-O pumpkin flavor instant pudding

1 cup canned pumpkin OR fresh, mashed pumpkin

1/2 cup cooking oil

1/2 cup water

3 large eggs

Optional Garnish: 1/4 cup chopped pecans

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 F. Coat two 8-inch round pans with cooking spray. Place all ingredients into large mixing bowl. Blend with mixer on low speed for one minute, then increase to medium speed for two minutes. Pour batter into pans and place in oven. Bake 30-35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove pans from oven and place on cooling racks. Frost cooled cake. Garnish, if desired, with chopped pecans and sprinkled cinnamon. Enjoy!

"Delightfully Cinnamon Buttercream Frosting"

1 stick butter, softened

3 cups confectioner's sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon cinnamon

4 tablespoons milk

Place butter in mixing bowl. Blend with mixer on low speed until fluffy. Gradually add confectioner's sugar, vanilla, cinnamon and 3 tablespoons milk until all ingredients are blended. Increase to medium speed and beat until light and fluffy. If mixture becomes stiff, add additional 1 tablespoon of milk.

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

As a newlywed, one of the things I have looked forward is selecting our own stationery and name stamp the same way I choose my own personal stationery, in a way that reflects our own unique personality as a couple, rather than the standard issue designs so many company's tend to offer today. When I came across Invitations By Dawn, I knew I had found just the company to create not only our signature stationery, but my personal stationery as well. This company is an excellent source for couples or personal stationery, for a unique holiday gift for a loved one, or for grooms and brides-to-be wondering what to give members of your wedding party as an appreciation gift.

When I was looking at personalized self-inking wedding stamp designs, so many companies offer until I saw the designs at Invitations By Dawn. I was especially taken with the Personalized Self-Inking Address Stamp, Bride and Groom design. They created a stamp for us using this design for me to review:

From the moment our stamp arrived, I was taken with its elegance and unique design. Our stamp is gracing many a wedding gift thank you note envelope as well as our letters, cards and mailings to friends and loved ones. I am impressed with the staying power and even coverage of the ink instead of coverage that can be uneven or too light to be visible. I love how the stamper gives a precise imprint on the paper rather than stamps I have used that I call "moody" because they gave a good imprint sometimes but other times extra filler would imprint with the stamp on the paper and take away from the presentation on the paper. I love the crisp imprint of the design that this stamp model offers.

This time of year, thankfulness is especially on the heart and it is the perfect time for me to share with you about the array of Thank You Card designs offered at Invitations by Dawn. I cherished writing our thank you notes for bridal shower and wedding gifts. I love writing thank yous to friends and loved ones for personal gifts and kind gestures, as well. Themes to suit so many interests and personalities can be found at Invitations by Dawn by clicking here.

This one is a favorite of both my husband and myself because it reminds us both of our beach proposal on the 4th of July, 2010. This design makes a perfect way to express your gratitude for a beach-loving couple or for a single person who loves the beach lifestyle:

Invitations By Dawn is an excellent source for both couples and personal stationery and address stamps, for a unique holiday gift for a loved one, or for grooms and brides-to-be wondering what to give members of your wedding party as an appreciation gift.

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FTC Disclaimer: Invitations By Dawn provided me with a self-inking address stamp for the purpose of my honest review. The opinions expressed in this blog post are my own. I was in no way financially compensated by Invitations By Dawn for this review.

Thursday, November 10, 2011

I am so honored and excited to be the Featured Blogger this week on that fabulous lady The Clumsy Coquette's Friendly Friday blog hop! Hello to all my new blog friends! I launched a Facebook page for SFB last month and I hope you will also come over and join me there, as well!

Monday, October 31, 2011

Happy Halloween from The Southern Fried Bride aka Glinda the Good Witch of Oz! The Southern Fried Husband and I are celebrating our first Halloween as Mr. and Mrs. and we look forward to greeting trick-or-treaters at our home tonight. I look forward to sharing some of our Halloween decorations and treats later today.

Day 31: This is my pink Glinda the Good Witch of Oz costume. I'm a Wizard of Oz collector and Glinda is my favorite!

Today's breast cancer fact, courtesy Susan G. Komen for the Cure: There are approximately 2.5 million breast cancer survivors alive today in the United States and the number of deaths due to breast cancer seems to be declining. A combination of early detection and more effective treatments is thought to be responsible for the declining death rates.

Friday, October 28, 2011

Day 28: One of my very favorite wedding gifts. A dream come true for me: my pink Kitchen-Aid stand mixer. I love "her". Bought by pooling all of our Macy's wedding gift cards together. Kitchen-Aid donates $50 to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer from the purchase of each Cook for the Cure pink mixer.

Today's breast cancer fact, courtesy Susan G. Komen for the Cure: Breast cancer is the most common cancer in pregnant and postpartum women. About 1.3 cases are diagnosed per 10,000 pregnancies.

Day 27: I just have to show these two items together because I paired them together at the beach this summer. My Lilly Pulitzer beach towel and my Lilly Pulitzer swimsuit.

*Today's breast cancer fact, courtesy Susan G. Komen for the Cure: Whether or not a man carries a BRCA2 mutation, having a family member with breast cancer increases the chances of developing male breast cancer.

Day 26: I snagged a limited edition pink Swiffer wet and dry mop. Swiffer is a sponsor of "Cleaning for a Reason", a nonprofit that offers free professional housecleaning to improve the lives of women undergoing treatment for cancer.

*Today's breast cancer fact, courtesy Susan G. Komen for the Cure: The term benign breast conditions (also known as benign breast disease) describes many noncancerous disorders that can affect the breast.Benign breast conditions can occur in both women and men.

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Halloween week is here and thanks to sensational sponsor, Shabby Apple, we have a fun giveaway straight out of "Wonderland"!

Shabby Apple is an online dress boutique selling women’s dresses, casual dresses, skirts, and women’s apparel. They now have a line of fashion jewelry and accessories. The first time I visited their website, I was taken aback by the beauty of their creations. Today, I count Shabby Apple among my favorite sources of fashion inspiration. One of the things I love most about their company is a fact that they are always designing new dresses for women, as well as coming out with entirely new fashion lines. I look at each of their new fashion lines when they debut and wonder how they could possibly top it. Then they come out with their next line and it is just as wonderful as the last.

I'm a big fan of vintage dresses and this is one of my favorites, the Hackney dress, from their "sidesaddle" vintage inspired collection:

One of my favorites in their boutique collections is the West Coast Swing dress from their "1943" collection:

I am in love with this pair of "Dazzling Day" high heels from their shoe collection:

I'm crazy about this Sugar Pie Headband. Go figure?

So now, to our giveaway. Come take a journey with me to see Shabby Apple's line of jewelry inspired by "Alice in Wonderland"...

I am a fan of key necklaces and this one is an exceptional piece.

Their "Key to Wonderland" necklace is an antique brass vintage reproduction skeleton key suspended on a 24” long chain. I love it that it is handmade in the USA.

I love the detail in this bracelet:

Their "Simply Alice" bracelet has grey/blue fresh water pearls finished with a cream satin bow, or pale pink fresh water pearls finished with a beautiful black satin bow. Bracelet has metal chain and lobster clasp for easy removal without compromising the perfect bow.

"Poker Face Alice" is a gold metal multi-chain bracelet adorned with several gold charms and finished with a lobster clasp closure.

"The Chesire Cat" is a rectangle brown and black speckled beads with antique copper chain and lobster clasp closure.

Shabby Apple has a wonderful Facebook page that is one of my favorite places for delightful fashion inspiration. You can "like" their page here to get in on special promotions and exclusive discounts.

One of you will win the Shabby Apple "Key to Wonderland" necklace! (ARV: $52.00)

If you are not the winner, you can still get in on a sweet deal. For the next 30 days, they are giving The Southern Fried Bride readers 10% off their purchase on the Shabby Apple website. The promotional code is "southernfriedbride10off".

Contest Rules:
* This giveaway is open to US residents only (never fear international fans, there will be giveaways you are eligible for coming soon!).

Mandatory Entry: You must be a Google Friend Connect follower of The Southern Fried Bride. If you are not already a GFC follower, you can follow this blog by clicking on the "Join This Site" button in the right-hand column. Post a comment telling me you are a GFC follower.

Extra Entries: Post a separate comment for each of the extra entries that you complete.

* Become a fan of The Southern Fried Bride on Facebook by "liking" the page here then post a comment letting me know.

* Become a fan of Shabby Apple on Facebook by "liking" the page here then post a comment letting me know.* Visit the Shabby Apple website here and browse through their beautiful fashions and accessories then post a comment and let me know your favorite item.

* Tweet this giveaway on Twitter. Be sure to post the link to your tweet with your comment. ''I just entered to win a @shabbyapple necklace via @SouthrnFriBride" then post a comment here with the link to your tweet.

Entries will close on Sunday, October 30 at 11:59 p.m. EST. A winner will be chosen on Halloween morning, Monday, October 31 and notified immediately. Good luck!

FTC Disclaimer: Shabby Apple is providing the above-mentioned necklace for the giveaway. I was in no way financially compensated by Shabby Apple for writing this blog post.

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Today's breast cancer fact, courtesy Susan G. Komen for the Cure: Similar to women, men with an inherited mutation in the BRCA2 gene have an increased risk of breast cancer. Men who carry a BRCA2 mutation have about a seven percent chance of developing breast cancer by age 70. BRCA2 carriers are also at an increased risk for other types of cancer, such as prostate cancer. Men can inherit a BRCA2 from either parent. A man who is a BRCA2 carrier can pass the mutation on to both his male and female children.

Coming tomorrow, a Halloween week giveaway from a fabulous sponsor! Hint: In the blog post, I will take you on a journey into "Wonderland".

Monday, October 24, 2011

Day 24: My mother-in-law recently passed this down to me from her mother, Grandma Sevcik, who passed away last year. I thought it was perfect for sharing on the date that falls on DZ Founder's Day. A pink rose dish topped with a butterfly. Perfect. :)

*Today's breast cancer fact, courtesy Susan G. Komen for the Cure: Breast cancer is the most common cancer in Korean, Chinese, Filipino and Japanese women in the U.S.

*Today's breast cancer fact, courtesy Susan G. Komen for the Cure: Asian Americans who are new immigrants have lower rates of breast cancer than those who have lived in the U.S. for many years. For those born in the U.S., breast cancer risk is similar to that of non-Hispanic white women (60 percent higher than women born in Asia).

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Day 20: I don't think these are the winter boots the people here have told me to get for the New York winter weather to come, but I couldn't resist.

Today's breast cancer fact, courtesy Susan G. Komen for the Cure: As mammography screening rates have increased, more cases of breast cancer are found at earlier stages, when they are more easily and successfully treated.

Day 19: Another one of my treasures- Grandma Cleva's favorite linen handkerchief. I carried this is in my Lilly clutch on my wedding day.

Today's breast cancer fact, courtesy Susan G. Komen for the Cure: Immigrants in the United States usually have breast cancer rates similar to those in their home country. Over generations however, the daughters and granddaughters of immigrants take on a risk similar to U.S. women.

From the 1940s until the 1980s, the rate of new cases of breast cancer in the United States increased by a little over one percent a year. In the 1980s, incidence rose dramatically (likely due to increased mammography screening), then leveled off during the 1990s. The incidence of breast cancer declined in the early 2000s. Since 2003, the incidence of breast cancer has remained stable.

Monday, October 17, 2011

Today's breast cancer fact, courtesy Susan G. Komen for the Cure: Breast and ovarian cancer are somewhat more common among women of Ashkenazi Jewish descent (ancestors who came from Central or Eastern Europe). This is likely due to the high prevalence of mutations in the Breast Cancer 1 and Breast Cancer 2 (BRCA1 and BRCA2, respectively) genes in these women. While BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations are rare in the general population, between eight and 10 percent of Ashkenazi Jewish women carry one of these mutations.

My Glinda the Good Witch pillow, given to me last Christmas by my in-laws.

*Today's breast cancer fact, courtesy of Susan G. Komen for the Cure: Rates of breast cancer incidence and death are much lower among men than among women. In 2007, survival rates for men are about the same as for women with the same stage of cancer at the time of diagnosis. However, men are usually diagnosed at a later stage because they are less likely to report symptoms.

Saturday, October 15, 2011

Today's breast cancer fact, courtesy Susan G. Komen for the Cure: The incidence of breast cancer declined in the early 2000s. The decline appears to be related to the drop in use of postmenopausal hormones that occurred after the Women's Health Initiative study showed their use increased risk of breast cancer and heart disease. Since 2003, the incidence of breast cancer has remained stable.

Friday, October 14, 2011

Day 14: My New York Yankees ball cap in pink, given to me by my DZ Little Sis Megan. Counting the days until NEXT season begins.

*Today's breast cancer fact, courtesy of Susan G. Komen for the Cure: Breast cancer is the most common cancer in Korean, Chinese, Filipino and Japanese women in the U.S. Among Asian American and Pacific Islander women, Native Hawaiian and Japanese women have the highest rates of breast cancer. Native Hawaiian and Samoan women have the highest rates of breast cancer death, exceeding even those in white women.

Recently, the Tropical Traditions food company sent me a sample of their Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil to try out in my kitchen.

This coconut oil is USDA certified organic, has no hydrogenation or trans fats and has a long shelf life. It now has a place of honor in my kitchen cupboard. I used the coconut oil to create this coconut cake. I have been baking all kinds of coconut cakes for years and when I tasted this cake, I loved both the burst of coconut flavor and the moist texture of the cake.

"Angela's Coconut Supreme Cake"

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 stick butter, softened

1 tablespoon Tropical Traditions Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil

4 large egg whites

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray two 8-inch round cake pans with cooking spray. In mixing bowl, add flour and baking powder; set aside. In separate mixing bowl, beat softened butter with mixer until light and creamy. Gradually add the 1 1/2 cups sugar, a small amount at a time, scraping the sides of the bowl before each addition. Beat for about 1 minute after each addition. Add coconut extract to mixture. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition, scraping sides of the bowl frequently. Slowly add about one-third of the flour mixture to the creamed mixture. Beat on low speed until blended. Scrape the bowl and repeat with another one-third of the dry mixture. Scrape the bowl and repeat with remaining flour mixture. Spoon batter into baking pans, spreading evenly. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until toothpick in center of cake comes out clean. Remove from oven. As cake cools, prepare frosting.

My frosting for this cake has my version of half and half: half a stick of butter and half cup of shortening.

"Angela's Coconut Supreme Frosting"

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup shortening

4 cups powdered sugar

1 teaspoon Tropical Traditions Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil

¼ cup shredded coconut

In mixing bowl, add first four ingredients. Beat with mixer 1 minute. Add coconut to mixture. Beat with mixer 5 minutes. Frost cooled cake. Use reserved ½ cup of coconut to coat top and sides of frosted cake. Enjoy!

If you would like to know more about Tropical Traditions products, you can go to their website here or their page on Facebook here.

Disclaimer: Tropical Traditions provided me with a free sample of this product to review, and I was under no obligation to review it if I so chose. Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review in return for the free product.